Drifting Podcast by YETI: Hilary Hutcheson

“My name is JT Van Zandt and I’m a fly fishing guide on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Being out on the water has always been the secret to unlocking my soul. A sense of calm comes over me and I feel like I can breathe. That feeling inspires deep thought and conversation with my clients I truly enjoy sharing perspective on human experience with folks I take fishing. My podcast, ‘Drifting,’ brought to you by Yeti, was created with the goal of capturing those candid conversations with people who inspire me and sharing their stories with an audience that has the same restless curiosity that I do. Thanks for listening to ‘Drifting.’

Hilary Hutchinson was raised in a climate where hard work, dedication and talent outweighed gender. As a consequence she has paved the way for women in the outdoor industry, proving that they are as capable as any man. Raised in West glacier by a father in the US Forestry Service, Hillary knows the mountains and rivers of northern Montana like the back of her hand. She started guiding as a teenager and was one of the first female fly fishing guides. She left home for a while to pursue a career in broadcasting and was a news anchor in Oregon for a while but eventually returned home to Montana to open a fly shop and get back to guiding the rivers of her youth.

Hillary and I swapped stories about our lives on the water and recalled meeting each other on a fishing trip to Cape Cod. The fishing was terrible so we drank beer and threw sinking lines into tidal rivers in search of stripers. She never stopped fishing night or day so neither did I. Her sparkly eyes, bright smile, raven hair and rock-hard confidence will draw you in. She’s a devoted mother, a business owner and a fly fishing guide. She’s a steward of the wild and a tireless advocate for climate change and I am proud to call her a dear friend.”